Pub Date
19 Apr 2019

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Description

“What a treasure trove!”—Sarah Beth Durst, author of Queen of the Blood

Unicorns: Not just for virgins anymore. Here are sixteen lovely, powerful, intricate, and unexpected unicorn tales from fantasy icons including Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, Patricia A. McKillip, Bruce Coville, Carrie Vaughn, and more. In this volume you will find two would-be hunters who enlist an innkeeper to find a priest hiding the secret of the last unicorn. A time traveler tries to corral an unruly mythological beast that might never have existed at all. The lover and ex-boyfriend of a dying woman join forces to find a miraculous remedy in New York City. And a small-town writer of historical romances discovers a sliver of a mysterious horn in a slice of apple pie.

“What a treasure trove!”—Sarah Beth Durst, author of Queen of the Blood

Unicorns: Not just for virgins anymore. Here are sixteen lovely, powerful, intricate, and unexpected unicorn tales from fantasy...

Description

“What a treasure trove!”—Sarah Beth Durst, author of Queen of the Blood

Unicorns: Not just for virgins anymore. Here are sixteen lovely, powerful, intricate, and unexpected unicorn tales from fantasy icons including Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, Patricia A. McKillip, Bruce Coville, Carrie Vaughn, and more. In this volume you will find two would-be hunters who enlist an innkeeper to find a priest hiding the secret of the last unicorn. A time traveler tries to corral an unruly mythological beast that might never have existed at all. The lover and ex-boyfriend of a dying woman join forces to find a miraculous remedy in New York City. And a small-town writer of historical romances discovers a sliver of a mysterious horn in a slice of apple pie.

A Note From the Publisher

Peter S. Beagle is the internationally bestselling and much-beloved author of numerous classic fantasy novels and collections, including The Last Unicorn, A Fine & Private Place, The Overneath, The Line Between, Sleight of Hand, Summerlong, and In Calabria. Beagle is the recipient of the Hugo, Nebula, Mythopoeic, World Fantasy, and Locus awards, as well as the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire. He is the editor of The Secret History of Fantasy and the co-editor of The Urban Fantasy Anthology. Beagle lives in Northern California, where he is working on too many projects to even begin to name.
World Fantasy Award-winning editor Jacob Weisman is the publisher at Tachyon Publications, which he founded in 1995. He is the series editor of Tachyon’s critically acclaimed, Hugo, Nebula, and Shirley Jackson award-winning novella series. Weisman's anthology projects include The New Voices of Fantasy (with Peter S. Beagle), Invaders: 22 Tales from the Outer Limits of Literature, The Sword & Sorcery Anthology (with David G. Hartwell), and The Treasury of the Fantastic (with David M. Sandner). He lives in San Francisco.

Peter S. Beagle is the internationally bestselling and much-beloved author of numerous classic fantasy novels and collections, including The Last Unicorn, A Fine & Private Place, The Overneath, The...

A Note From the Publisher

Peter S. Beagle is the internationally bestselling and much-beloved author of numerous classic fantasy novels and collections, including The Last Unicorn, A Fine & Private Place, The Overneath, The Line Between, Sleight of Hand, Summerlong, and In Calabria. Beagle is the recipient of the Hugo, Nebula, Mythopoeic, World Fantasy, and Locus awards, as well as the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire. He is the editor of The Secret History of Fantasy and the co-editor of The Urban Fantasy Anthology. Beagle lives in Northern California, where he is working on too many projects to even begin to name.
World Fantasy Award-winning editor Jacob Weisman is the publisher at Tachyon Publications, which he founded in 1995. He is the series editor of Tachyon’s critically acclaimed, Hugo, Nebula, and Shirley Jackson award-winning novella series. Weisman's anthology projects include The New Voices of Fantasy (with Peter S. Beagle), Invaders: 22 Tales from the Outer Limits of Literature, The Sword & Sorcery Anthology (with David G. Hartwell), and The Treasury of the Fantastic (with David M. Sandner). He lives in San Francisco.

Advance Praise

“Well worth reading...” —NY Journal of Books

“This slender but rich anthology compiled by Beagle and Weisman (The New Voices of Fantasy) centers on the mythical beast for which Beagle is best known, thanks to his classic novel The Last Unicorn. The 15 stories and one poem reinterpret the unicorn myth across genre and style. Caitlín R. Kiernan’s lesbian noir “The Maltese Unicorn” pits a hard-boiled rare book dealer against a sorcerous femme fatale. In Jane Yolen’s delicate “The Transfigured Hart,” a bookish boy and a horse-loving girl bond over a shared obsession with a mysterious white woodland creature. Dave Smeds’s “Survivor” includes elements of horror in its tale of a traumatized Vietnam vet, as does Garth Nix’s “The Highest Justice,” in which a princess and a revenant queen seek revenge with the help of a unicorn. Themes of innocence lost, first love, and yearning for transcendence pervade all of the stories in this collection, giving it a haunting and melancholy feel. Readers who love the mystery and elegance of unicorns will find this a lovely homage.” —Publishers Weekly

“Unicorns in literature are fascinating, evocative, mysterious, and elusive, and with The Unicorn Anthology, editors Peter S. Beagle—himself of unicorn fame—and Jacob Weisman invite continued appreciation of the legendary beast, drawing it beyond its familiar medieval framework.” —Foreword

“Unicorns are a rare and wondrous breed; fortunately for us, stories about them are a little easier to find. Peter S. Beagle’s new anthology contains a marvellous collection of stories about the animal that probably never existed, but that we still can’t stop dreaming about. Like the creature itself, the stories are wild and wistful, graceful and glorious, kind and crazy. Everything we need to help us believe . . . in something worth believing in.”—Simon R. Green, author of Night Fall

“What a treasure trove! This anthology is filled with stories that will surprise, fascinate, and delight you. From an Arizona ghost town where souls are healed to a medieval European forest to the middle of an elephant herd in Persia, there are so many gems to be found!” —Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of the Queens of Renthia series

“Between these pages you’ll find tales that are as mysterious and arresting as any creature of myth and legend. The Unicorn Anthology returned me to the stories of writers I already loved and introduced me to the stories of writers I know I will come to love.” —Kevin Brockmeier, author of A Brief History of the Dead

5/5 stars. “Every single story in this collection is top-shelf.” —Nonstop Reader

"This collection is a great introduction to various authors and a great sample of their writing, in addition to various ways one can look at a unicorn." —Infinite Text

“The New Voices of Fantasy is a fabulous collection of vivid, surprising, and remarkable stories. Highly recommended.”—Kate Elliott, author of Court of Fives

[STARRED REVIEW] “This excellent anthology showcases up-and-coming speculative fiction writers, many of whom have received award nominations and critical attention to support their status as future influencers of the genre. Fantasy legend Beagle and Tachyon publisher Weisman have provided a valuable snapshot of SF/F’s newest generation of writers.” —Publishers Weekly

[STARRED REVIEW] “A stellar anthology that proves not only that fantasy is alive and well, but that it will be for years to come.” —Kirkus [STARRED REVIEW]

“This anthology represents some of the most exciting and interesting work in the fantasy field today, and anyone interested in the genre should read it immediately.” —Booklist

“For readers who are anticipating the end of HBO’s Game of Thrones and looking for new fantasy authors to follow, this 19-story-strong collection provides plenty to sample.” —Library Journal

“Well worth reading...” —NY Journal of Books

“This slender but rich anthology compiled by Beagle and Weisman (The New Voices of Fantasy) centers on the mythical beast for which Beagle is best known...

Advance Praise

“Well worth reading...” —NY Journal of Books

“This slender but rich anthology compiled by Beagle and Weisman (The New Voices of Fantasy) centers on the mythical beast for which Beagle is best known, thanks to his classic novel The Last Unicorn. The 15 stories and one poem reinterpret the unicorn myth across genre and style. Caitlín R. Kiernan’s lesbian noir “The Maltese Unicorn” pits a hard-boiled rare book dealer against a sorcerous femme fatale. In Jane Yolen’s delicate “The Transfigured Hart,” a bookish boy and a horse-loving girl bond over a shared obsession with a mysterious white woodland creature. Dave Smeds’s “Survivor” includes elements of horror in its tale of a traumatized Vietnam vet, as does Garth Nix’s “The Highest Justice,” in which a princess and a revenant queen seek revenge with the help of a unicorn. Themes of innocence lost, first love, and yearning for transcendence pervade all of the stories in this collection, giving it a haunting and melancholy feel. Readers who love the mystery and elegance of unicorns will find this a lovely homage.” —Publishers Weekly

“Unicorns in literature are fascinating, evocative, mysterious, and elusive, and with The Unicorn Anthology, editors Peter S. Beagle—himself of unicorn fame—and Jacob Weisman invite continued appreciation of the legendary beast, drawing it beyond its familiar medieval framework.” —Foreword

“Unicorns are a rare and wondrous breed; fortunately for us, stories about them are a little easier to find. Peter S. Beagle’s new anthology contains a marvellous collection of stories about the animal that probably never existed, but that we still can’t stop dreaming about. Like the creature itself, the stories are wild and wistful, graceful and glorious, kind and crazy. Everything we need to help us believe . . . in something worth believing in.”—Simon R. Green, author of Night Fall

“What a treasure trove! This anthology is filled with stories that will surprise, fascinate, and delight you. From an Arizona ghost town where souls are healed to a medieval European forest to the middle of an elephant herd in Persia, there are so many gems to be found!” —Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of the Queens of Renthia series

“Between these pages you’ll find tales that are as mysterious and arresting as any creature of myth and legend. The Unicorn Anthology returned me to the stories of writers I already loved and introduced me to the stories of writers I know I will come to love.” —Kevin Brockmeier, author of A Brief History of the Dead

5/5 stars. “Every single story in this collection is top-shelf.” —Nonstop Reader

"This collection is a great introduction to various authors and a great sample of their writing, in addition to various ways one can look at a unicorn." —Infinite Text

“The New Voices of Fantasy is a fabulous collection of vivid, surprising, and remarkable stories. Highly recommended.”—Kate Elliott, author of Court of Fives

[STARRED REVIEW] “This excellent anthology showcases up-and-coming speculative fiction writers, many of whom have received award nominations and critical attention to support their status as future influencers of the genre. Fantasy legend Beagle and Tachyon publisher Weisman have provided a valuable snapshot of SF/F’s newest generation of writers.” —Publishers Weekly

[STARRED REVIEW] “A stellar anthology that proves not only that fantasy is alive and well, but that it will be for years to come.” —Kirkus [STARRED REVIEW]

“This anthology represents some of the most exciting and interesting work in the fantasy field today, and anyone interested in the genre should read it immediately.” —Booklist

“For readers who are anticipating the end of HBO’s Game of Thrones and looking for new fantasy authors to follow, this 19-story-strong collection provides plenty to sample.” —Library Journal

Marketing Plan

*Promotion at major trade and genre conventions, including BEA, Readercon, the International Convention for the Fantastic in the Arts, and the World Fantasy Convention

*Features, interviews, and reviews targeting venues including the Washington Post, NPR, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Locus, and the San Francisco Chronicle

*Northern California and national editor and author tour dates TBD

*Planned galley distribution and book giveaways to include NetGalley, Goodreads, Edelweiss, Tor.com, and additional online outlets

*Promotion at major trade and genre conventions, including BEA, Readercon, the International Convention for the Fantastic in the Arts, and the World Fantasy Convention

Available Editions

Links

Average rating from 28 members

Featured Reviews

bonnie s, Bookseller

Recommends This Book

Strongly

With this bevy of authors, you CAN"T go wrong, but my personal favorite I will admit was Jane Yolen and Carrie Vaughn. I REALLY REALLY want those two to be full length novels. Overall, what a fantastic collection of both stories and authors and the adding of Coville, someone I wouldn't normally read, was fantastic.

Recommends This Book

Strongly

Was this review helpful?

Annie B, Reviewer

Recommends This Book

Strongly

The Unicorn Anthology is a collection of 16 pieces of short fiction by some literal titans of speculative fiction. Every single story in this collection is top-shelf, there are no weak stories. All of these have been published previously and date from 1975-2017. Many of the older stories are quite difficult to find and several were new to me in any form.
Due out 19th April 2019 from Tachyon, it's 288 pages and will be available in ebook and paperback formats.
One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover. This one I did. I even re-read the stories which I had read before.
I won't precìs all the stories, and all are strong, but there are a few true standouts:
My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle is a first person story in the form of an anecdote. Based in both folklore and Persian oral history, it's a twisty tale that kept me guessing completely to the end. The nuance and flavor of the storytelling is amazing and I am utterly in awe of Mr. Beagle's command of the form. Just a really superlative story. This one was also included in The Overneath reviewed on my blog.
The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen. Part fable and part coming of age. This one is a modern story and in a way is all about perceptions and consensual reality (what things actually are depends on how we perceive them). I adore Ms. Yolen's writing and this story is gentle and wistful and beautifully written. I believe I had read this one years ago, but had forgotten about it for a long time. Such a melancholy piece.
Ghost Town by Jack C. Haldeman II. A grifter gets a rare chance to change the path he's on. I really loved this one even though it's more or less straightforward fiction with the slightest touch of magical realism. It's an upbeat and very well written story.
Just a really super collection of short stories.
Five stars

Recommends This Book

Strongly

Was this review helpful?

penny s, Reviewer

Recommends This Book

Strongly

This anthology of sixteen tales portrays unicorns in a way you may not have experienced before. When as an author you're typecast by a popular character, it can make writing challenging. Such is the experience of Peter S. Beagle, the unicorn guy. Thus his introduction is one of the most enjoyable, insightful, and "life is humorous" ones I've read in years. Even more so for me as my introduction to his work was not with The Last Unicorn, but with another tale, Summerlong. It sets the tone for a wonderful anthology of stories by many well known names in fantasy. Each takes the bright shiny virgin and a white unicorn story and examines it in a different and unique way. While they have all been published previously, not all are easy to access today. This is an enjoyable collection for those looking for different stories of unicorns.

Recommends This Book

Strongly

Was this review helpful?

Samantha G, Reviewer

Recommends This Book

Yes

I don't normally read short stories because I love the long game. However, these are some compelling and excellently written short stories. Some were disturbing, some were suspenseful, and some were lovely. I was impressed with the work of each author and I'll be looking at other books written by them for my to-read list. Although they're all about unicorns, don't think that makes them similar in any way. The creativity with the subject is astounding. Prepare to be amazed.

Additional Information

Available Editions

Links

Featured Reviews

bonnie s, Bookseller

Recommends This Book

Strongly

With this bevy of authors, you CAN"T go wrong, but my personal favorite I will admit was Jane Yolen and Carrie Vaughn. I REALLY REALLY want those two to be full length novels. Overall, what a fantastic collection of both stories and authors and the adding of Coville, someone I wouldn't normally read, was fantastic.

Recommends This Book

Strongly

Was this review helpful?

Annie B, Reviewer

Recommends This Book

Strongly

The Unicorn Anthology is a collection of 16 pieces of short fiction by some literal titans of speculative fiction. Every single story in this collection is top-shelf, there are no weak stories. All of these have been published previously and date from 1975-2017. Many of the older stories are quite difficult to find and several were new to me in any form.
Due out 19th April 2019 from Tachyon, it's 288 pages and will be available in ebook and paperback formats.
One reason I prefer collections and anthologies is that short fiction is really challenging. It's spare and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting. Well written short fiction is a delight. I also love collections because if one story doesn't really grab me, there's another story just a few pages away. I can only recall a few times where I've read a collection (or anthology) straight through from cover to cover. This one I did. I even re-read the stories which I had read before.
I won't precìs all the stories, and all are strong, but there are a few true standouts:
My Son Heydari and the Karkadann by Peter S. Beagle is a first person story in the form of an anecdote. Based in both folklore and Persian oral history, it's a twisty tale that kept me guessing completely to the end. The nuance and flavor of the storytelling is amazing and I am utterly in awe of Mr. Beagle's command of the form. Just a really superlative story. This one was also included in The Overneath reviewed on my blog.
The Transfigured Hart by Jane Yolen. Part fable and part coming of age. This one is a modern story and in a way is all about perceptions and consensual reality (what things actually are depends on how we perceive them). I adore Ms. Yolen's writing and this story is gentle and wistful and beautifully written. I believe I had read this one years ago, but had forgotten about it for a long time. Such a melancholy piece.
Ghost Town by Jack C. Haldeman II. A grifter gets a rare chance to change the path he's on. I really loved this one even though it's more or less straightforward fiction with the slightest touch of magical realism. It's an upbeat and very well written story.
Just a really super collection of short stories.
Five stars

Recommends This Book

Strongly

Was this review helpful?

penny s, Reviewer

Recommends This Book

Strongly

This anthology of sixteen tales portrays unicorns in a way you may not have experienced before. When as an author you're typecast by a popular character, it can make writing challenging. Such is the experience of Peter S. Beagle, the unicorn guy. Thus his introduction is one of the most enjoyable, insightful, and "life is humorous" ones I've read in years. Even more so for me as my introduction to his work was not with The Last Unicorn, but with another tale, Summerlong. It sets the tone for a wonderful anthology of stories by many well known names in fantasy. Each takes the bright shiny virgin and a white unicorn story and examines it in a different and unique way. While they have all been published previously, not all are easy to access today. This is an enjoyable collection for those looking for different stories of unicorns.

Recommends This Book

Strongly

Was this review helpful?

Samantha G, Reviewer

Recommends This Book

Yes

I don't normally read short stories because I love the long game. However, these are some compelling and excellently written short stories. Some were disturbing, some were suspenseful, and some were lovely. I was impressed with the work of each author and I'll be looking at other books written by them for my to-read list. Although they're all about unicorns, don't think that makes them similar in any way. The creativity with the subject is astounding. Prepare to be amazed.